Clamp



Nov. 19, 1963 v. J. JENKINS 3,111,159

CLAMP Filed Ju1y 11, 1961 22 y if* v )lV/ INVENTOR. u

24- Vancc ./,Jwkum ATTORNEY.

United States Patent iitice 3,1 l l, l 59 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 VanceJ. Jenkins, 2341i E. h Ave., Hiaieah, Fla. Filed July 11, 1961, Ser. No.123,249 3 Ciaims. (Ci. 153-32) This invention relates to a means forrepairing damaged automobile bodies whereby the dents in the sheet metalmay be restored to their original shape and appearance, and, inparticular, this invention relates to a clamp which is especially usefulin removing dents from damaged automobile doors.

Because of the labor involved in removing damaged doors fromautomobiles, the repair of dents therein is unduly expensive in garagesand repair shops. The present invention provides a means whereby thedents can be removed by standard tools without the necessity of removinga dented car door from the automobile.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a. novel clampfor repairing dents in automobile car doors and which is also useful forrepairing dents in other parts of automobiles, which is simple inconstruction, economical in cost and manufacture, and efficient inoperation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a clamp which willmake it possible to repair dents in automobile doors without thenecessity of removing the doors from the automobiles.

In accordance with these and other objects which Wiil become apparenthereinafter, the instant invention will now be descriebd with referenceto the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodimentthereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side elevation View of an automobile having adoor slightly aj ar;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of a pair of clamp units,constructed according to the invention, and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device shown in FlG. 2 taken along theplane indicated by the line 3 3 of FG- URE 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, and referring particularly to FIG. l, 11 designatesgenerally the side of an automobile and 12 designates generally a doorwhich is slightly ajar and which has been dented as at 13, 14 and 15.Mounted to said doors there are clamps 16 and 17, the former of which isshown more fully in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and disposed between said clampsthere is provided a jack 18 having an arm protruding on each sidethereof. The jack 1S is operated by uid pressure which is directedthereto through suitable means such as an air hose 19.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the clamp is seen to com* prise a J-shapedpiece of metal of uniform thickness having a bight portion 20 disposedbetween a relatively long rst plate 21 and a relatively short secondplate 22. The second plate 22 is provided with a series of conicalrecesses, or dimples, 24 on the interior face 25 thereof. In axialalignment, or registration, with said series of recesses there isprovided, in the long plate 21, a series of threaded holes 26. Mountedperpendicular to said long plate and arranged transversely thereof,there is provided a lateral thrust plate 27 having affixed thereto acentering pin 28 surrounding which there is concentrically disposed acylinder 29, said pin and said cylinder being secured to said block, asby welding, and extending away from the concave side of said bightportion. There are provided a series of bolts 33 for threaded engagementwith said series of holes 26 and having tapered, sharp ends 34 forengagement in said recesses 24.

In use, a pair of clamps is hooked over the lips on the sides 35 and 37of a car door and the series of bolts 3.3 tightened down so that themetal lip portion of the door is deformed into the recesses 24, and thusclamped tightly into the bight portion 21B between said rst and secondplates 21 and 22 respectively. Pipes 38 and 39 are receivable over thecentering pin 28 of each clamp and the jack arms are arranged inengagement with said pipes, said jack being disposed between saidclamps. Fluid pressure is supplied through the hole 19, forcing the armsoutwardly and transmitting force through the pipes which pushes theclamps outwardly on either side of the jack whereby the sheet metal ofthe door is stretched back into its original shape as the dents 13, 14and 15 are drawn out.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in whatis conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosedherein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as toembrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in pairs, in co-operation with a medially located spreadingmeans, a clamp unit having particular application to vehicle doorshaving relatively thin, marginal, flange portions, said unit comprisinga hook-form plate, of substantially uniform thickness throughout, andgenerally J-form in longitudinal cross section, with a long side, abight portion, and a short side, said short side having a plurality ofdimples linearly arranged in spaced relation across its width, said longside having threaded openings axially registering with said dimples,screws having conical ends carried in said openings, a plateperpendicularly extending from said long side, on the surface thereofopposite from said short side, arranged in perpendicular relation to thelength direction of said long side, and located between said openingsand the free end of said long side, a cylindrical rod carried by saidplate, centrally thereof, perpendicular thereto, and on the surfacethereof opposite from said openings, and a cylindrical tube carried bysaid plate, in surrounding, concentric relation to said rod.

2. For use in pairs, in co-operation with a medially located spreadingmeans, a clamp unit having particular application to vehicle doorshaving relatively thin, marginal, flange portions, said unit comprisinga hook-form plate, of substantially uniform thickness throughout, andgenerally J-form in longitudinal cross section, with a long side, abight portion, and a short side, said short side having a plurality ofdimples linearly arranged in spaced relation across its width, said longside having threaded openings axially registering with said dimples,screws having conical ends carried in said openings, a plateperpendicularly extending from said long side,

on the surface thereof opposite from said short side, ar-

Y ranged in perpendicular relation to the length direction of said longside, and located between said openings and the free end of said longside, and guide means for reception of said spreading means, carried bysaid plate.

3. For use in pairs, in co-operation with a medially located spreadingmeans, a clamp unit having particular application to vehicle doorshaving relatively thin, marginal, liange portions, said unit comprisinga hook-form plate, of substantially uniform thickness throughout, andgenerally J-form in longitudinal cross section, With a long side, abight portion, and a short side, means for gripping one of saidmarginal, flange portions between said long side and said short side, aplate perpendicularly '4 extending from said long side, on the surfacethereof opposite from said short side, arranged in perpendicularrelation to the length direction of said long side, and located betweensaid openings, and guide means for reception of said spreading means,carried by said plate.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,274,881 Bolston Mar. 3, 1942 2,606,467 Desjarlais et al. Aug. 12, 19522,734,549 Thorley Feb. 14, 1956 2,845,983 Hanson Aug. 5, 1958 2,855,972Greider Oct. 14, 1958

1. FOR USE IN PAIRS, IN CO-OPERATION WITH A MEDIALLY LOCATED SPREADING MEANS, A CLAMP UNIT HAVING PARTICULAR APPLICATION TO VEHICLE DOORS HAVING RELATIVELY THIN, MARGINAL, FLANGE PORTIONS, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A HOOK-FORM PLATE, OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS THROUGHOUT, AND GENERALLY J-FORM IN LONGITUDINAL CROSS SECTION, WITH A LONG SIDE, A BIGHT PORTION, AND A SHORT SIDE, SAID SHORT SIDE HAVING A PLURALITY OF DIMPLES LINEARLY ARRANGED IN SPACED RELATION ACROSS ITS WIDTH, SAID LONG SIDE HAVING THREADED OPENINGS AXIALLY REGISTERING WITH SAID DIMPLES, SCREWS HAVING CONICAL ENDS CARRIED IN SAID OPENINGS, A PLATE PERPENDICULARLY EXTENDING FROM SAID LONG SIDE, ON THE SURFACE THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM SAID SHORT SIDE, ARRANGED IN PERPENDICULAR RELATION TO THE LENGTH DIRECTION OF SAID LONG SIDE, AND LOCATED BETWEEN SAID OPENINGS AND THE FREE END OF SAID LONG SIDE, A CYLINDRICAL ROD CARRIED BY SAID PLATE, CENTRALLY THEREOF, PERPENDICULAR THERETO, AND ON THE SURFACE THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM SAID OPENINGS, AND A CYLINDRICAL TUBE CARRIED BY SAID PLATE, IN SURROUNDING, CONCENTRIC RELATION TO SAID ROD. 